The present invention relates to a method of separating steel balls and other ferromagnetic material from non-ferromagnetic ore as the materials move out of a ball mill or a similar apparatus. The invention has utility in magnetic separators in general.
The problem that this invention addresses is that the balls used in a ball mill or a similar apparatus are frequently carried out of the mill with the ore. This happens more frequently as the balls wear down to a size approaching the target ore size. These balls, which are primarily steel, can damage downstream equipment such as pumps as they pass through the system. To prevent this damage, it is desirable to remove the balls from the ore before it leaves the mill.